What Is Developmental Editing

Gary Smailes | 2 November 2025

Definition and Scope of Developmental Editing

Developmental editing focuses on the big picture. Structure, concept, and the reader experience. Not grammar or typos.

Think of this phase as the stage where the book’s bones get tested. A developmental editor reads for clarity, logic, and emotional payoff. The goal, a book that holds attention from page one to the final line.

What gets evaluated

For fiction, the focus includes:

• Plot shape and cause-and-effect
• Pacing and escalation
• Stakes and tension
• Character goals, arcs, and agency
• Point of view and narrative distance
• Theme and how scenes serve it
• Worldbuilding rules, constraints, and continuity

For nonfiction, the focus includes:

• Thesis strength and reader promise
• Argument flow and chapter order
• Evidence, case studies, and examples
• Exercises or takeaways that drive change
• Fit for the intended audience and market

The purpose

A strong developmental edit aligns the manuscript with reader expectations and market norms while keeping your voice intact. Genre conventions matter, so does originality. The edit seeks a balance. Clear promise, solid structure, and a satisfying journey. Your words still sound like you.

Worried about voice getting steamrolled? A good editor protects voice, then pushes structure, clarity, and stakes.

What you receive

Most packages include a mix of the following:

• Editorial letter, usually 5 to 20 pages, with priorities and fixes
• In-manuscript comments to show patterns and opportunities
• Book map or reverse outline to reveal structure on one page
• A practical revision plan with milestones

Some projects add a debrief call to turn feedback into a working plan. Some include a second pass once revisions land. Line editing, copyediting, and proofreading sit outside this scope. Those stages follow once structure holds.

How this looks in practice

Fiction example. A crime novel opens with three chapters of backstory, then the body appears. Reader interest slips. The editor proposes a re-ordered opening, a cleaner inciting incident, trimmed exposition, and a timeline check. Character motivation sharpens. Stakes rise sooner. Pacing steadies across the middle third.

Nonfiction example. A career book promises a five-step system. Chapters drift between pep talk and tactics. The editor returns a firm outline with a defined sequence, chapter objectives, and standard section headers. Each chapter ends with actions a reader can complete. The promise becomes visible on every page.

Memoir example. Lived experience spills across thirty years with no clear scope. The editor helps set boundaries, selects a frame, and links scenes to a single throughline. Ethical considerations get flagged early. The result feels purposeful rather than sprawling.

What developmental editing is not

Not line editing. Line work focuses on sentence rhythm, word choice, and flow. Not copyediting. Copy work focuses on grammar, usage, and consistency. Not proofreading. Proofreading hunts for final typos and formatting slips. Developmental work sits earlier. Fix the foundation first, then polish the prose.

A quick self-test

Two questions help expose structural risk before booking a dev edit:

• One-sentence promise. What will a reader gain, feel, or understand by the end?
• Reverse outline. For each chapter, list purpose, turn, and consequence. Does each entry move the story or argument forward?

If answers feel fuzzy, a developmental edit will add major value.

How to guide your editor

Write a short brief before you share pages. This guide gives context and saves you money.

Include:

• Target reader. One line. For example, “New managers in tech, first three years.”
• Comps. Two or three comparable titles and why those choices make sense.
• Core promise. The transformation on offer.
• Non-negotiables. Boundaries on content, voice, or structure.
• Top three questions. The biggest risks you want pressure-tested.

Template to copy:

• Working title:
• Word count and category:
• Target reader:
• Comps:
• Promise in one line:
• Non-negotiables:
• Top three questions:

Send the brief with a clean manuscript and a short synopsis. A good editor reads with your goals in mind, not a generic checklist.

What changes after a developmental edit

Expect structural notes that reshape the reading experience. Openings tighten. Middles gain traction. Endings deliver payoff. Scenes with no consequence leave or merge. Chapters gain clear purpose. Argument threads build logically. Worldbuilding supports plot rather than fighting it.

You also receive language for your own revision plan. Milestones, order of operations, and a list of experiments to try. That plan reduces overwhelm and keeps momentum high.

A quick exercise before you book

• Write the promise on a sticky note. Keep it visible.
• Create a one-page reverse outline. Chapter list, purpose, turn, consequence.
• Trim 5 to 10 percent of the word count. Remove repetition, placeholder scenes, or soft summaries.
• Standardise a style sheet. Names, places, timelines, and key terms.

This prep speeds the edit and shifts attention to higher-value work.

Developmental editing is the phase where vision meets structure. The reader experience becomes clear. The book you meant to write starts to emerge in a form readers will follow, enjoy, and remember.

What a Developmental Editor Evaluates

You want to know where the stress test lands. Here is what I look for, and how you can pressure‑test before you hire me.

Story and idea viability

• Premise. One clear situation with stakes. If you pitch three books at once, readers drift.
• Hook. A reason to read now, not later. A problem or promise on page one.
• Angle. What feels fresh in your take.
• Reader promise. By the end, what will the reader feel, learn, or do?

Quick test:

• Fiction. One line: When X happens, a Y must do Z, or else W.
• Nonfiction. For [target reader] who want [outcome], this book shows [method] so they achieve [result].

If that sentence stalls, the edit will start with clarity.

Structure and logic

I track cause and effect. Scene to scene. Chapter to chapter. If the middle sags, I circle it. If the ending relies on coincidence, I mark it.

• Sequencing. Each scene sets up the next. Each chapter builds pressure or insight.
• Causality. Because X, then Y. Not, and then this happens.
• Openings and endings. Start where trouble begins. Finish with earned resolution.
• Bridges. How we move between beats, ideas, or time.

Quick exercise:

• Build a reverse outline. For every scene or chapter, write purpose, turn, consequence. If purpose repeats, consolidate or cut. If no consequence follows, raise stakes or rework placement.

Character and POV

Characters drive plot. Voice delivers experience. I read for choice, not drift.

• Motivation. What the character wants on the page. What they need under the surface.
• Arc. What changes by the end. If nothing shifts, we have an anecdote, not a story.
• Agency. Do characters make choices that shape events, or do events carry them along.
• Consistency. Beliefs, skills, and voice line up with prior pages.
• POV and distance. Who tells the story, how close the lens sits, and whether we head hop.

Memoir adds one more layer:

• Scope. What slice of life you tell, and what you leave out.
• Ethics. Fairness to real people. Safety for you. Clear signals on compressed timelines or composite characters.

Quick exercise:

• Write three lines for your lead. Want. Misbelief. Choice they avoid. Then mark the first scene where each appears on the page.

Pacing and tension

Momentum keeps readers with you. I scan for the mix of action, reflection, and exposition.

• Beats. Inciting incident, midpoint shift, dark turn, climax. For memoir, swap in your own turning points.
• Escalation. Setbacks deepen, not repeat.
• Balance. Action without reflection feels thin. Reflection without action stalls.
• Setups and payoffs. Plants early, pays off later.

Nonfiction version:

• Question and answer flow. Each section answers a question, which raises the next one.
• Alternation. Story, concept, application, repeat. Readers get oxygen and progress.

Quick exercise:

• Color code a chapter. Action in one color. Reflection in a second. Exposition in a third. If one color floods the page, rebalance.

Worldbuilding and continuity

For SFF and any story with complex rules, I test the scaffolding.

• Rules and limits. Magic or tech has a cost. Systems break under stress in predictable ways.
• Constraints. Geography, culture, and institutions shape choices.
• Timeline. Travel times, seasons, ages, pregnancies, recovery, all aligned.
• Service to plot. Details earn their space by creating pressure or solving a problem at a price.

Continuity matters outside SFF too. Eye color. Days of the week. A dog that disappears.

Quick exercise:

• Start a rules sheet. Write what the system lets you do, what it forbids, and the price you pay. Then run three plot beats through that sheet and see where it snaps.

Nonfiction rigor

Authority rests on thesis, logic, and proof. I read with a red pen for drift and hand‑waving.

• Thesis. One central claim stated early and repeated with purpose.
• Outline logic. Chapters in an order that moves the reader from point A to point Z without leaps.
• Evidence. Studies, data, or field examples that fit the claim. Sources named. Methods clear.
• Case studies. Specific, short, relevant. No bloated origin stories.
• Exercises. Clear steps. A way to measure progress.
• Calls to action. What the reader does next, at the end of each chapter.

Quick exercise:

• For every chapter, fill this grid: claim, proof, example, action. If any cell stays blank, tighten or cut.

Market fit

Books live on shelves with neighbors. Expectations matter.

• Genre signals. Romance promises an HEA or HFN. A mystery solves the case. A thriller keeps the clock ticking. If you break a rule, break it on purpose and warn the reader early.
• Word count norms. Outliers meet higher bars.
• Voice and tone. Match to audience age and tolerance for complexity.
• Comps. Recent, relevant, and specific. You are joining a conversation.

I do not flatten your voice to fit a trend. The goal is a clear promise that lands with the readers you want.

Quick exercise:

• List three comps from the last five years. For each, write one line on overlap and one on difference. Use that to refine your pitch.

Prep that makes this faster and cheaper

• One‑sentence pitch. Fiction and nonfiction templates above. Post it on your wall.
• Reverse outline. Purpose, turn, consequence for every scene or chapter.
• Must‑keep elements. The pieces you will fight for. Theme, relationship, non‑negotiable scene, or research pillar.
• Comps. Three to five, with notes on how your book sits beside them.

Send those with your manuscript. I read to your goals, not a random checklist.

A tiny walkthrough

• Novel. Your middle drifts into travel and talk. We tighten scene goals, add mid‑point reversal, and fold three talky scenes into one charged confrontation. The ending lands harder because the setup now exists.
• Memoir. You try to cover thirty years. We set a one‑year frame, flag legal risks, and pick six anchor scenes. The throughline appears, and so does your voice.
• Nonfiction. You promise a five‑step method. Chapters wander. We rebuild with a question per chapter, proof, a short story, and a worksheet. Readers finish with wins, not notes.

That is the lens. Promise, logic, people, pace, world, proof, and fit. Nail those, and every later pass pays off.

Deliverables and Workflow

Here is how a full developmental edit runs, start to finish, and what you receive at each step.

Discovery

You share sample pages, a brief, and your questions. I read, ask a few pointed follow‑ups, then propose scope and timeline.

What I ask for:

• 10 to 30 sample pages that reflect the core of the book, not only your best chapter.
• A one‑page brief with target reader, comps, promise, non‑negotiables, and top three questions.
• Word count, genre or category, and your publishing path.

What you get:

• A written scope with deliverables, timeline, fee, and dates.
• A contract and a slot on the calendar.

Mini‑task before you inquire:

• Write one sentence on your reader promise.
• List three comps from the last five years.
• Name the three biggest risks you want tested.

Deep read and mapping

Once scheduled, I do a full diagnostic read. No line edits yet. I track structure, logic, and reader experience.

You also receive a book map or reverse outline. For fiction, expect:

• Scene number, POV, location, and time.
• Purpose and turn.
• Stakes and consequence.
• Threads tracked, for example plot, romance, mystery.
• Word count per scene and per thread.

For nonfiction, expect:

• Chapter thesis and key claims.
• Evidence and sources.
• Case study notes.
• Exercises or takeaways.
• Gaps, overlaps, and sequence logic.

This map reveals patterns. Repeated beats. Missing setup. A timeline that slips. We use it to plan changes, not to admire columns.

Try this on your own chapter:

• Write the purpose in one line.
• Mark a turn. If nothing turns, you likely have exposition, not a scene or section.
• Note the consequence. If none follows, raise pressure or move the piece.

Editorial letter

Next comes the big guidance. A 5 to 20 page letter, depending on scope and complexity.

What it includes:

• Prioritized problems ranked by risk, for example premise clarity, POV drift, sagging middle.
• Rationale for each point, so you see why it matters.
• Specific examples with page or scene references.
• Fix options, often with two or three paths. Cut, combine, or reframe.
• A high‑level revision sequence, so you tackle big rocks in order.

A sample slice often looks like this:

• Issue: Midpoint lacks reversal. The lead chooses safety, stakes drop.
• Why it matters: No new pressure, so readers stall.
• Evidence: Chapters 17 to 19 repeat the same argument with different scenes.
• Options: Merge 17 and 18. Force a choice that costs a friendship. Seed this choice in chapter 8.

Expect candor and a path forward. No line clean‑up, because sentence polish waits until structure holds.

Margin comments

Along with the letter, you receive targeted comments in the manuscript. I point to moments that show a larger pattern or a clear win.

Examples of what you will see:

• “Where does this scene turn? Consider raising the price of failure for Ava.”
• “POV slip. We jump from Ben to Mom within one paragraph.”
• “Repeat of the ‘talent vs effort’ idea from chapter 3. Trim or add new proof.”
• “Great beat. This choice reveals the misbelief you named in chapter 2.”

Goal of margin notes: illustrate, not nitpick. You learn the pattern, then apply it across the book.

Debrief and plan

After you read the letter, we meet. A call or written Q and A. We turn notes into a plan.

What we decide:

• Scope of changes and order of operations.
• What to cut, what to move, what to rebuild.
• Milestones, dates, and risks.
• What support you want during revision, for example one checkpoint at the halfway mark.

A simple plan you can adopt:

• Milestone 1. Fix premise and opening hook. Due in two weeks.
• Milestone 2. Rebuild midpoint and escalate stakes. Due in four weeks.
• Milestone 3. Restructure ending and seed payoffs. Due in six weeks.
• Buffer. One week for integration and a cold read.

Bring three questions to the call. Bring one page with your throughline stated in plain language.

Optional second pass

After revision, you may want a focused second look before line editing.

What this pass checks:

• Did structural changes land.
• Are new scenes aligned with voice and promise.
• Any fresh logic gaps, timeline slips, or point of no return that needs weight.

What you submit:

• Full draft or key sections, based on our plan.
• A note on what changed and where you still feel risk.

This pass runs faster and stays tight. The goal is pressure‑test, then greenlight for line work.

A sample timeline

• Week 0. Discovery, scope, scheduling.
• Weeks 1 to 2. Deep read and mapping.
• Week 3. Editorial letter and margin comments delivered.
• Week 4. Debrief call, revision plan set.
• Weeks 5 to 10. Your revision window with optional checkpoint.
• Week 11. Optional second pass.
• Week 12. Decision to proceed to line editing.

Your book may need more or less time. The structure above keeps momentum without rushing decisions.

Actionable: lock scope early

Ask for a scope table before you sign. You want clear edges.

What to include:

• Deliverables, for example letter length, book map, margin comments, debrief call.
• Number of passes and what each pass covers.
• Timeline with start date, delivery date, and revision window.
• Response windows for follow‑up questions.
• Word count limits for each stage.
• Format of files and naming rules.
• What support during revision looks like, for example one checkpoint read of 20 pages.
• Payment schedule and reschedule policy.

Copy this into your email:

• Please confirm deliverables.
• Please confirm dates for each step.
• Please confirm how to reach you during my revision window and expected response times.

Clarity here saves money and morale. You get a partner, a map, and a plan that respects your voice and your goals.

How It Differs from Other Editing Types

Different editing types solve different problems. Use the right one at the right time and you save weeks. Use the wrong one and you polish work you will later cut.

Developmental editing vs line editing

Developmental editing tackles the spine of the book. Structure, story logic, argument flow, reader promise. Line editing works at the sentence level. Diction, rhythm, tone, clarity.

If developmental notes say, Move chapter 12 next to chapter 6 and raise the stakes by forcing a choice, a line edit says, This sentence feels vague and heavy. Try a concrete verb and cut the filler.

A quick test:

• If your worry sounds like, The middle sags and repeats, you need developmental help.
• If your worry sounds like, My sentences feel clunky and the voice drifts, you need line work.

Example:

• Developmental: Three scenes show the protagonist debating the same decision. Combine the beats, create a midpoint reversal, then seed the consequence earlier.
• Line: This paragraph repeats “really” and “very.” Trim qualifiers. Replace “started to walk” with “walked.” Swap passive verbs for direct action.

Line editing polishes what stays. Developmental editing decides what stays.

Developmental editing vs copyediting

Copyediting enforces rules. Grammar, usage, punctuation, consistency, style guide. It protects readers from friction. It does not move chapters or rebuild arguments.

If a copyeditor marks, Choose a style for email versus e-mail and apply across the book, a developmental editor says, Your chapter order muddies the thesis. Flip chapters 3 and 4 so the evidence follows the claim.

Nonfiction example:

• Developmental: The argument jumps from problem to solution, then back to problem. Restructure to move from stakes, to model, to application. Add a case study that proves the model under pressure.
• Copyedit: Fix subject-verb agreement. Standardize capitalization for Model X. Add the missing serial comma per house style.

Fiction example:

• Developmental: POV shifts break tension. Reassign scenes to one viewpoint to reduce head hopping. Rebuild the climax so the lead’s choice drives the outcome.
• Copyedit: Correct comma splices. Ensure dialogue punctuation follows standard rules. Standardize spelling for invented terms on a style sheet.

Developmental editing vs proofreading

Proofreading checks the final file before publication. Typos, missing words, spacing, page numbers, captions, headers, links. Proofreading happens last. After layout for print or after final formatting for digital.

Where a dev editor marks, This subplot never resolves and weakens the ending, a proofreader marks, “teh” should read “the.” Both matter. Only one affects structure.

If you proofread before you finish revision, you will pay twice. Typos in cut pages do not need fixing.

Manuscript assessment

A manuscript assessment delivers a high level diagnosis without margin comments. Expect a report that outlines strengths, risks, and next steps. It often lands faster and at a lower fee than a full developmental edit. It helps you decide where to focus your own revision first.

Good use cases:

• Early draft and you want triage on premise, scope, and audience.
• Budget or timeline is tight and you need big-picture direction.
• You plan another round of self-revision before a full edit.

What you will not receive:

• Scene-by-scene comments.
• A book map.
• Detailed fix examples on every chapter.

Think of it as a structural health check. If the assessment raises major risks, address those before any sentence work.

Related services

• Book coaching. Ongoing guidance while you draft or revise. Regular check-ins, feedback on pages, accountability, and support on process. Best when you want a thinking partner over time.
• Book doctoring. Hands-on rewriting to solve structural problems under deadline. The doctor may rewrite scenes or chapters in your voice. Make sure scope and voice protection are clear in the contract.
• Sensitivity reading. Feedback from readers with lived experience of the identity or topic in question. Focus on stereotypes, harm, nuance, and authenticity. Often paired with developmental work on character and context.
• Fact-checking. Verification of claims, dates, quotes, statistics, and sources. Essential for journalism, history, business, and any book with research. Strengthens trust and reduces legal risk.

These services overlap at times, but each has a distinct aim. Ask for definitions and deliverables in writing.

Mini exercise: match the problem to the edit

Label your top three worries in a short list.

• The opening fails to hook readers.
• My scenes feel wordy.
• A reviewer flagged a harmful stereotype.
• Commas confuse me.
• A timeline error slipped into chapter 14.
• The argument wanders.

Now match each one:

• Opening fails to hook. Developmental.
• Wordy scenes. Line edit.
• Harmful stereotype. Sensitivity read, with developmental guidance on character arc.
• Commas. Copyedit.
• Timeline error. Developmental for sequence, then copyedit for consistency.
• Wandering argument. Developmental.

Actionable: sequence your edits

Set your order before you hire anyone.

• Step 1. Developmental editing or a manuscript assessment.
• Step 2. Line editing once structure holds.
• Step 3. Copyediting to lock usage and consistency.
• Step 4. Proofreading after layout or final formatting.

Two quick questions keep you on track:

• If I moved or cut a chapter today, would it break the book. If yes, finish structural work before any sentence polish.
• Do I know my target reader and promise in one line. If no, start with developmental support.

Use the right editor at the right moment. Your voice stays intact. Your pages work harder. Your readers feel the difference.

When to Seek Developmental Editing

You hire a developmental editor when you want the book to work, not just read clean. Structure first. Sentences later. Get the timing right and you save money, time, and sanity.

After a full draft or a full proposal

Finish a complete pass before you bring someone in. For fiction, a full draft with a beginning, middle, and end. For nonfiction, a full proposal with a sample chapter or two, plus a working table of contents.

Why finish first? Big moves only reveal themselves when the whole arc exists. A dev editor reads for patterns. Missing set-ups. Repeated beats. A midpoint which goes slack. Hard to spot from three shiny chapters and a wish.

If you have gaps, use placeholders. Write, Chapter 14, confrontation at the marina, stakes raise, then move on. You need a spine in place.

When beta readers point to confusion over commas

Ask a handful of smart readers to mark where they felt lost or bored. Pay attention to notes which circle story logic, not punctuation. Comments like, I drifted in chapter 7, or I did not understand why she forgave him, matter more than comma splices at this stage.

A few common flags:

• Pacing. Scenes which repeat the same conflict. A middle which spins.
• Plot holes. A character teleports across town. A clue appears from nowhere.
• Flat characters. Goals feel fuzzy. Decisions lack pressure.
• Unfocused argument. In nonfiction, chapters wander. Claims do not build.

These are structural problems. A dev edit targets them.

Mini test: if three readers report the same issue, you have a pattern. Fixing one sentence will not solve it.

When genre expectations or word count feel fuzzy

Every shelf has norms. Romance brings a satisfying emotional payoff. Thrillers escalate with tight turns. Memoir lands on a clear lens and scope. Word count ranges exist for a reason, which readers feel in their bones.

If you are not sure where your book sits, you need guidance before you polish. A dev editor checks comps, conventions, and reader promise. You keep your voice, while aligning beats and length with reader expectations.

Quick gut check:

• You say, It is a mystery, but the reveal happens at 40 percent. Consider suspense or domestic drama instead, or restructure the investigation.
• You hand in a 160,000-word debut fantasy with no trilogy plan. Expect surgery. A dev editor helps you decide what belongs in book one.

When revisions stall

You know scenes feel wrong, but you do not know why. You bounce between chapters like a pinball. Every change spawns three more. This is when a clear plan saves you.

A dev editor supplies a ranked list of problems and fixes. For example:

• Priority one. Protagonist lacks agency in the climax. Rebuild the final choice so action flows from her goal.
• Priority two. Sagging middle. Combine two subplots which serve the same function. Move the mentor scene forward to trigger the midpoint.
• Priority three. Theme. Clarify the promise on page one and echo it in the final image.

You leave with steps, not mush. Then you can schedule focused sprints, which keeps morale intact.

When you are still drafting, choose coaching instead

If whole sections remain unwritten, hold off on a full dev edit. Coaching suits early stages. You get regular feedback on pages. You keep momentum. Once the draft exists, bring in a dev editor for the deep structural pass.

Budget tight or timeline short

You have options which move the book forward without blowing the budget.

Run targeted beta reads. Give readers a short brief:

• Target audience and promise in one line.
• Three comps. One sentence each on why you picked them.
• Top three questions. Example, Where did you lose interest, Which scene felt out of place, What confused you.
• Your non‑negotiables. Voice, key theme, sensitive lines.

Ask for feedback within two weeks. Then order a manuscript assessment. You will receive a diagnostic report which highlights risks and priorities. Use it to guide one more round of revisions. After that, book a full dev edit if needed.

Fiction signals vs nonfiction signals

Different genres, same principle. Use a dev editor when stakes sit below the waterline.

Fiction signals:

• Opening fails to hook. Scene starts too early. Stakes read soft.
• POV head-hops. Tension leaks.
• Timeline trips readers. Tuesday turns into Thursday with no passage of time.

Nonfiction signals:

• Thesis wobbles under pressure. Claims do not lead the chapter order.
• Case studies repeat the same lesson. Swap in new angles which build the argument.
• Exercises or takeaways feel tacked on. They must tie to chapter goals.

A quick decision tool

Grab a notebook. Write honest answers.

1. Do you have a complete draft or full proposal.
2. Where do early readers get bored or confused. List three spots.
3. Name your genre or category in two words. Do you know three current comps.
4. State your promise to the reader in one sentence. Keep it plain.
5. If you cut a chapter tomorrow, would the book collapse.

If you struggle on more than two, you are ready for developmental help.

What you gain when you time it right

• Clear structure. Scenes and chapters point in one direction.
• Momentum. A plan reduces flailing.
• Money saved. You avoid line edits on pages which later get cut.
• Confidence. You know where your book sits on the shelf and why readers will care.

Hire a developmental editor once the bones exist. Use beta readers and an assessment to bridge budget or time gaps. Save copyedits and proofreading for the end. Your future self will thank you. Your readers will too.

How to Prepare and Get the Most Value

Preparation multiplies the return on a developmental edit. Do some smart prework, share clear context, then hold the line while the edit happens. You will save money, shorten revisions, and keep your voice intact.

Self‑revise before delivery

Start with a reverse outline. A reverse outline maps what sits on the page right now, not what lived in your head during drafting.

Build a simple table with these columns:

• Chapter or scene number.
• POV.
• Time and place.
• Purpose, the job this unit performs.
• What changes for the protagonist.
• Stakes on the page.
• Word count.

Example entry:

• Ch 4, Maya, Tuesday morning at the marina, introduce rival, Maya loses the storage key, risk of getting fired rises, 2,900.

Once the map exists, patterns jump out. Three scenes deliver the same beat. A subplot vanishes for 80 pages. The midpoint lands flat. Cut, move, or combine before an editor reads.

Trim 5 to 10 percent. Quick wins:

• Remove throat‑clearing at openings. Start on action or decision.
• Nix filler phrases, began to, started to, kind of, a bit.
• Cut duplicated setup lines in dialogue. One line does the job.
• Merge twin scenes, boss undermines the lead twice, pick the sharper one.

Resolve known logic gaps. Flag the ones you cannot solve yet, with a bold bracketed note. Example: [Need a reason for Jonah to know the code]. Honesty saves time.

Create a style sheet

A style sheet keeps names and world rules steady. It also reduces questions later.

Include:

• Names and preferred forms. Katherine, Kat. Dr Ahmad, not Ahmed.
• Places and spellings. South Tower, capital S and T. Route 66, not Highway 66.
• Timeline. Birth years, ages by chapter, weekday tracking.
• Terminology. Industry terms, slang, foreign words, plurals.
• Capitalization choices. Internet or internet. Black or black in racial context.
• Numbers and units. Ten or 10. Miles, km, lbs.
• Dialogue conventions. Ellipses, thoughts in italics or not, texting format.
• Formatting quirks. Scene break marker, three asterisks or a blank line.

Keep the sheet short and searchable. One page works for many books. Update during revisions.

Provide context that orients your editor

No one edits in a vacuum. Give a quick brief that frames goals and boundaries.

Fill this in and paste at the top of the manuscript:

• Target reader. One line on age, interests, and pain points.
• Core promise. After reading, a reader will feel or know X.
• Comps. Three current titles, each with a reason, voice, structure, scope, or audience.
• Positioning statement. X meets Y for Z readers.
• Constraints or sensitivities. Legal limits, lived‑experience lines you prefer not to cross, brand rules.
• Non‑negotiables. Voice, theme, ending vibe, sacred cows.

Clarity here protects voice and intent during the structural work.

Ask focused questions

Direct questions steer attention toward risk. Pick no more than five. Rank by priority.

Examples:

• Does the opening hook deliver a clear story problem.
• Where does tension sag for more than five pages.
• Does the protagonist make the key turns, or do events push the plot.
• Do POV choices create distance or confusion anywhere.
• Which chapters feel out of order and why.
• For nonfiction, does chapter order build a single throughline.
• Do case studies repeat lessons.
• Which scenes or sections feel skippable.

Specific questions yield specific notes, which shortens the next draft.

Keep scope stable during the pass

Freeze the draft before handoff. No new chapters. No major research threads. Small fixes only, typos, missing words, a new chapter title.

Use simple version control:

• File name format, Title_v07_2025‑03‑10.docx.
• A change log at the top, date, page range, one‑line summary.
• A parking lot for new ideas that arrive mid‑edit. Capture, do not insert.

A stable draft helps an editor see structure cleanly. Chasing a moving target burns hours without adding value.

Post‑feedback workflow

You will receive a letter and margin notes. Treat feedback like a diagnosis, then move to treatment.

A tight flow:

1. First read. No marking. Let the whole message land.
2. Cool off. One sleep minimum. Two is better.
3. Second read with a pen. Highlight problem statements in one color and suggested approaches in another.
4. Build a priority list with three tiers.
   • Tier A, structural surgery with high impact. Remove a subplot. Rebuild the climax.
   • Tier B, sequencing and transitions. Move scenes. Clarify causality.
   • Tier C, polish gates before line editing. Repetition. Minor clarity fixes.

Estimate effort for each item. Block calendar sprints for Tier A first. Leave Tier C until structure feels solid.

Create a revision plan:

• Goals by week.
• Pages or chapters per sprint.
• Checkpoints with a friend or coach.
• A short re‑outline after each major change to confirm flow.

Two timelines, one plan

Life swerves. Build two schedules up front, standard and stretch. Use clear milestones.

Example:

• Week 1, absorb notes, finalize plan, update reverse outline.
• Weeks 2 to 4, Tier A changes, two scenes per day, weekends off.
• Week 5, read through, notes on gaps, update style sheet.
• Weeks 6 to 7, Tier B work, re‑order scenes, write bridges.
• Week 8, sanity read, share five chapters with a beta reader.

Stretch version adds one extra week after each block for rest or surprises. Put both on a calendar. Share dates with anyone waiting on the next pass.

A quick prep checklist

• Reverse outline completed and trimmed by 5 to 10 percent.
• Style sheet ready.
• Context brief pasted at the front.
• Five focused questions ranked.
• Draft frozen, version labeled, change log started.
• Post‑feedback plan sketched with two timelines.

Do this groundwork and a developmental edit delivers more than pages of notes. You get a sharper book, a faster revision cycle, and fewer regrets at the line edit stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

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